Page 14 - 2017 JUL -DEC KAAKBAY

14 July to December
2017

New York Consulate Launches This year’s community partners and sponsors
Sinehan sa Summer with Filipino Film Classic included Handang Tumulong Foundation, Inc., UP
Alumni Association in America, Fil-Am Triathlon, JCI
Philippines-New York, Catholic Fellowship of Young
Filipino Professionals, JCI Philippines-New Jersey,
Society of Pilipino American Artists, Unity Pilipino
American for Progress, and Philippine American
Friendship Committee.

The annual Sinehan sa Summer is a flagship
project of the Consulate General, free to the public. It ran
from 1 to 31 August with screenings on Tuesdays and
Thursdays at the Philippine Center.

Film enthusiasts and members of Handang Tumulong Foundation Inc, led by Mr. Alex Acclaimed Philippine Indie Films Close
Esteban (2nd from right, back row) and UP Alumni Association of American Inc. led by Sinehan sa Summer 2017
Ms. Nelsie Parrado (middle, front row), Ms. Fiel Zabat (4th from front row) and Mr. Gil
Quito (3rd from front row) share a light moment with DCG Cariño III (3rd from right,
back row)

The 2017 edition of “Sinehan sa Summer”, the much-
anticipated yearly festival of Philippine films, opened on 01 August
with a screening of the Ishmael Bernal award-winning classic
“Pagdating sa Dulo.”

The film, one of the acknowledged gems of the second
Golden Age of Philippine cinema from the 1970s-1980s, features
stirring performances from Philippine screen icons Rita Gomez,
Vic Vargas, and Eddie Garcia.

After the film showing, noted screenwriter and film Some of the closing night audience at Sinehan sa Summer
scholar Gil Quito and multi-awarded Production Designer Fiel
Zabat held a talk-back session where audience members shared Sinehan sa Summer 2017’s Closing Week
their thoughts about the film and the development of Philippine featured first-ever showings in New York of a pair of
cinema, in general. critically-acclaimed Philippine Independent Films –
“Kusina” (The Kitchen) starring popular actressJudy Ann
Aside from Pagdating sa Dulo, Sinehan sa Summer 2017 Santos-Agoncillo and “Purok 7”, the award-winning debut
boasted a line-up of recent critically-acclaimed Philippine indie feature film of Carlo Obispo.
films such as “Kusina” with Judy Ann Santos, “Purok 7”, and
“Dagitab”. A selection of 19 short films, all involving the creative The well-attended screenings of “Kusina” and
talents of emerging Filipino and Filipino-American filmmakers, was “Purok 7” closed out another successful run of the
showcased at the festival. Sinehan sa Summer, a flagship program of the Philippine
Consulate General in New York aimed at promoting
In his remarks at the opening of this year’s Sinehan, greater awareness of Philippine cinema and emerging
Deputy Consul General Felipe Cariño acknowledged the work Filipino and Filipino-American filmmakers.
undertaken by the Sinehan sa Summer Film Panel composed of
Consul General Theresa Dizon-De Vega, Mr. Quito, Ms. Zabat, “Kusina”, a film taking a nostalgic look at a
Fil-Am filmmaker Paolo Bitanga, Cultural Officer Olive Magpile housewife and household in rural Philippines through
and Cultural Section staff Mae Manubay, and Marianne Olfindo in several decades’ earned well-deserved applause at the
selecting a diverse and exciting film slate for the 2017 festival. He end of the screening on 29 August 2017. A joint directorial
likewise acknowledged the Sinehan’s contribution to bringing effort of David Corpuz and Cenon Obispo Palomares, the
Filipino films to a wider audience. film debuted at the 2017 Cinemalaya Film Festival.

This year’s Sinehan sa Summer was supported by the (Continue on page 15)
Film Development Council of the Philippines, the National Film
Archives of the Philippines, Cinemalaya, Victory Liner, Cultural
Center of the Philippines Film Division headed by Victoria
Belarmino, Chris Millado, Troy Bernardo, Ten17P Productions,
Paul Soriano, Vincent Nebrida, Viva Communications, Giancarlo
Abrahan V, David Corpuz, Cenon Palomares, Carlo Obispo, and
Rough Road Productions.